Seaside Eel
by pyrorbl
Summary: Ginji and ghosts of memory in the ocean


**Warnings:** Rated PG, no real spoilers but you may have want to seen up to episode 25 of the anime. Send feedback to Pyro.  
**Disclaimer:** GetBackers and its characters are not mine. This fic is not-for-profit, just for wanking off. ;p

* * *

**Seaside Eel**

He'd been here before.

As soon as Ban and he crossed the street and stepped onto the beach, Ginji knew this wasn't his first time there.

It wasn't one of the beaches he'd gone to with Ban, on their rare trips to the sea. That meant he'd come here in the Before Time--before Ban, before Mugenjou, before memory.

For a moment he stood absolutely still, his excitement draining away. He could feel his palms sweating, his grip on the cooler in his right hand slipping. The panorama haunted him. He'd stood here, _right here_, years ago. The sand spilled over his sandals, burning his feet just as it'd done then. The smell was the exact same mix of brine and suntan lotion. The building further along the beach was still the same garish blue. Smaller than he remembered, but then he'd been so small himself.

Both awe and sadness swept over him as he looked over the strand, seeing a short brown-haired boy running along the beach. It wasn't him. He was here, now, no longer a child. It wasn't him along the beach; he wasn't seeing old ghosts, not after--

"Hey, Ginji! Are you coming or what?" Ban called. Ginji snapped back to reality, the terrifying feeling vanishing. He jogged to catch up with his friend, hefting the cooler into his arms. With the sound of Ban's voice, everything had gone back to normal. It was hard to believe anything had been amiss in the first place.

Ban tilted his head back, futilely trying to slide his glasses further up his nose. He carried their towels and blankets, as well as an umbrella Ginji had insisted they bring. Ginji reached over and pushed the glasses up for Ban, who muttered a quick thanks. The action awoke another feeling of deja vu, but he pushed it away.

They continued down the beach, keeping an eye out for Hevn. Ginji stayed quiet as they searched, no longer perturbed but not feeling like talking.

"Something wrong?" Ban asked.

Ginji shook his head and smiled. "My arms are just getting tired from carrying this thing." He shook the cooler, hearing the ice inside rattle. 

Ban snorted. "I'm carrying more than you are."

He pouted. "Blankets don't weigh that much. I've got all the ice _and_ the soda _and_ the foo--"

"Ah, there she is!" Ban hurried off to where Hevn stood, where she waved them over next to her own umbrella and towel. Ginji grinned and followed, grateful for the chance to get his feet off the burning sand. By now it had covered his sandals.

"Geez, it took you long enough to get here. Did you get lost?" Hevn asked, standing with her hands on her hips as she watched them set-up next to her. Like all her clothing, her skimpy bikini did nothing to diminish her authoritative aura. Ginji laughed, embarrassed, and apologized while he and Ban spread out their towels. His partner only made a few disparaging remarks about their potential client, wanting to know why they had to meet at such an out-of-the-way beach. Hevn argued with him, pointing out how crowded and well-know the beach they were at was. Ban countered by saying so many people being there had made it impossible to find parking, and if they got another ticket he'd make Hevn pay for it. Ginji just laughed. He'd been looking forward to this trip, job or no job, and now that his unease was gone he was beginning to enjoy himself again.

The bickering only ceased when Ban looked at his watch and complained that their client was late. Hevn just shrugged. "If you want to leave fine, but then you don't get paid." The last she said in a singsong voice, and Ban plopped down on his towel, arms folded over his chest and sulking. Ginji suppressed another grin. He knew how much Ban hated it when she was right.

He turned to Hevn, who lay on her own towel, luxuriating in the sunshine. "Well, since he's late, is it all right for us to go for a swim? Please?" he asked, hands pressed together and an eager smile on his face.

She lifted her sunglasses and peered at him before smiling. "Sure," she said, standing up and grabbing a bottle that'd been beside her. "But you know, Gin-chan, the sun's pretty fierce." She stepped close against him, a familiar mischievous glint in her eyes. He swallowed, feeling her chest pressed against his own, and would have made several hasty steps backward if she hadn't been gripping his arms so tightly. "Do you need me to rub some sunscreen on you?"

He was mortified to feel his cheeks turn warm. Ginji glanced at Ban, projecting _Help me!_ with every fiber of his being. Ban would never let him hear the end of this.

Sure enough, Ban remained sitting on his towel, sulking, and was now giving Ginji The Look. The Look that said, "You're enjoying this, and I'm going to make you pay for it later." With a frightened yelp Ginji stepped back, trying to get Hevn to let go of him. He only succeeded in tripping over the cooler, though, and tumbled backwards into the sand. Rubbing his sore calf, he let out a sigh of relief that at least Hevn hadn't toppled onto him. 

Ginji stood up and hobbled away from their little camp. "Uh, thanks, but I'm okay. I put some sun block on before we left, so it's working now. I'll just, uh, go swimming now. By myself. I won't be long. Bye!" With that he took off toward the water, ignoring the death glare from Ban and the exasperated smile from Hevn.

Wading through the cool water, Ginji relaxed, his embarrassment fading. _We should have more jobs like this,_ he thought idly. Floating on his back, feeling the waves pull him farther from shore, Ginji smiled up at the sky. He thought of the feeling of familiarity that'd surfaced when they arrived here, and while he floated he dug through his memories, searching for any glint of this place. Had he come here with his parents? Did he have any siblings that had come, too? Had he gone swimming on his own, floating like this, or had he had an inner tube? Did he eat sandwiches last time he was here? Or play with water guns?

After a while he turned onto his stomach and began swimming lazily. He couldn't remember anymore. And to be honest, he didn't mind.

Ginji could see Ban and Hevn occasionally as other beachgoers moved in and out of his line of sight. There was still no sign of their client, but he thought he'd better get back soon. Otherwise Ban would eat all their food without him.

This far out, the water came up over his head, and Ginji treaded water as he looked at the rest of the beach, smiling at the numerous sand castles being constructed. He wished, briefly, that he had brought a pair of goggles with him. The water at this beach was amazingly clear, and sometimes he could see fish darting around.

Then he saw a long, sinuous animal swim by.

His eyes widened, memory flooding back to him.

_"Dad, look! It's an electric eel!"  
"That's silly, Ginji. Eels don't come this close to shore."  
"But it is! I saw it last night on TV. It's got to be."  
"Dear, maybe he's been in the sun too long. Ginji, why don't you go rest and have some juice?"  
"But Mom--"_

He blinked, the vision gone. There was nothing in the water but his own pale body.

Were they even memories, these visions? Maybe they were just dreams, dreams he'd made from his loneliness in Mugenjou.

Shaken, Ginji started swimming back.

Once his feet could touch bottom, he walked parallel to the shore. He didn't want to meet a client like this, wide-eyed and unsteady. Looking at the water but not paying any attention to it, Ginji paced through the water. He had to get himself under control. He'd thought he was beyond letting things like this affect him.

The next thing he knew, he was coughing up water.

"Ban-chan! Why'd you have to go dunk me like that?" He turned to his friend, who grinned evilly back at him. Still spluttering, the salt water burning the corners of his mouth and his eyes, Ginji tried his best to glare.

"Heh heh. That's what you get for not paying attention." Ban, Ginji sourly thought, looked entirely too pleased with himself. _No one should look that confident with their hair plastered to their head and seaweed hanging on their shoulder._

Well, only one thing to do in this situation. Counterattack!

He sprayed a wave of water at Ban, who turned his head to avoid it. Taking his chance, Ginji tackled him, using the little bit of weight he had over Ban to push his head underwater. Ban didn't go down easily, though. Submerged, he grabbed Ginji's ankle and pulled, tugging Ginji under with him.

They both came up spitting water at each other. Ginji laughed as Ban splashed him, returning with his own water attack. Soon enough a couple kids joined them, and so much water was being splashed Ginji couldn't see anymore. He was laughing though, uncaring that he kept swallowing sea water.

The kids broke off and began dunking one another. Still chuckling, Ginji pushed his soaked hair back. "I hope Hevn finds more clients to meet us on the beach. This is great!"

Without his glasses on, Ban looked... almost vulnerable. His smile, Ginji thought, was more honest than he could remember it being in a while. "Yeah, but it's no fair when you get the kids to team up against me."

Scratching the back of his head, Ginji ducked his head in embarrassment. "I don't think they were on anyone's side," he protested. A small, silver fish darted between them. He tilted his head to the side, watching it swim away.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking... hey, Ban-chan?"

"Yeah?" he asked, untangling some seaweed from his hair.

"Are there any electric eels around here?"

Ban gave him an odd look, then splashed him. "Just you, stupid."

His mouth made an 'o' of surprise. He couldn't think of anything to say in response.

His friend grinned and threw the seaweed at him. "Race you to the shore. First one there gets all the dumplings!"

"Aah! No fair, Ban-chan! Natsumi said those were for me!" They both took off for the shoreline, kicking up huge waves as they ran. 

Later, listening to their client agonize over his missing championship surfboard, Ginji kept glancing at the ocean. He was the only electric eel here. If there'd been another, one he'd seen years ago, it didn't matter. Only now did. Glancing over at Ban, Ginji smiled. He had a new family to make memories with now. That was enough for him. 


End file.
